Aayin1941

Welcome aboard! I started modelling in the 60s too, but I’m still stuck on Airfix. Have fun & take care!

Work of art! Amazing work Jeff! Was one heck of a build, thx for sharing 👍🇬🇧⚓️

very rough first coat of paint. Truth be, I was finishing off an old can of paint. Also rear AA platforms need redoing, same with main mast. Only posting this to show I’m still alive & well. Hope y’all doing fine, summer here makes it hard to stay inside much, but that may change as our air quality is getting worse with all the forest fires.

A few more details topside

Unicorn’s new bridge(minus upper radar platforms) & funnel comparison to original, quite taller than ArkRoyal. Jeff, I dropped in KGV at bottom of pic, no crane at all 😞 Note rebuilt rear funnel grille as original gone, will do something similar on Unicorn.

Wow so glad I found this, absolutely gtg watch video & thx for posting!

PS. I don’t usually pitch anything but I am so taken back by 3 Utube channels produced by 3 British chaps(so absolutely lots of RN content) I have to say, if you like Navy, give these guys a look: Drachinifel , Armoured Carriers & Dr Alexander Clarke. The last guy I contacted & he was kind enough to allow me to create & post stills from his videos. Hence:HMS Illustrious. Take care y’all 😎

Thx for the kind words, I see we have the same interests: RN & Fleet air arm 👍 Recently I have a lot more respect for the Swordfish, I left a link above to an amazingly detailed video documentary on the raid at Taranto. Unreal how only 12 Swordfish could cripple the Italian navy so well. I was thinking about making one more 1/72 aircraft, likely a Lancaster but after aforementioned video, a Swordfish maybe in the works. Likely depends on what’s available as I’ve noted the Airfix wholesaler here in western Canada is not restocking much lately. Seems strange to me as plastic modelling has made a bit of a come back with the lockdowns & international shipping certainly is improving. So funny how I got hooked on Airfix in the 60s cause they were mostly way more detailed than other brands & had a wide variety of RN warships. Today it’s a whole new world of super detailed 1/700 or 1/350. Very tempted with a newer Japanese version of Illustrious, decked out for Taranto raid, but kinda stuck on 1/600 💕⚓️🇬🇧 Take good care of you & yours! cheers, Rob

Hi Jeff. Honestly I am glad I have extra cranes so no problem. I lost a crane on my Repulse yet somehow had 1 spare very similar from a POW kit of some forgotten company out of business many years ago, lucky me on that. Not so lucky is I also lost a crane on my KGV, no spare so you never know. Sure wish Airfix would release KGV again, such a great ship & a decent model. My big step in DIY: a few Hellcats or some other aircraft(whatever is easiest & period correct) & the supports for cranes, which are huge & very noteworthy on Unicorn. I hate to say it but the numbness in my hands is getting worse. It is a bad time to have any medical condition that ain’t life threatening but I knew someone with a similar condition who went under the knife, not a good result for her so kinda trying to just live with it. All I can promise is I will finish this to the best of my ability. Hope things are well down there, seems Australia doing better than most. cheers, Rob

Cranes being offset on Unicorn a distinguishing feature yet flash on new ArkRoyal kit unusable unless a lot more patient than me 🙃 Edit: got extra cranes 🏗 Anywho, flight deck details ruffed in, bow needs a AA platform on both port & starboard & likely do bridge structure next, before painting... Hope y’all doing well. cheers, Rob

Every picture tells a story, don’t it?

Protruding bridge support

Still amazes me how much detail can be put on a 1/600 ship. Simply put: Jeff, you the man!

What a beauty, & super fast too! Nice to see a model of something not maybe so popular in the west. Must have been a complicated delivery in 1941. Good luck with the build, nicely done so far 👍

Once again Jeff, thx for all the great input. I must say with the cruiser classes & subclasses made by the RN one sure has many options if scratch building or with kit crashes. For me thou spring time is just too nice to not spend some time seeking a road less travelled. TBS kinda addicted when it comes to fresh air, big dogs and mountain bikes. Talk soon & hope things are well with everyone. Cheers, Rob

slight update: hull together, bow & stern mods done. Final cuts & lots of filler next up b4 starting paint. Glad I left extra centreline midship openings till later as they were very helpful ensuring flighdeck lined up strait as hull cut was just slightly off. I have to create an air wing & have no RF antenna so DIY in future limelight lol. IDK if the bulge @ centre hull is anywhere near authentic but it is what it is 👀

Thx Jeff. Toothless terror? Given a few more years, that could be me 🤭 Just ordered what maybe the last Belfast in my area, seems it’s getting a bit hard to find anything not essential locally. I only had 2 4” turrets left, so happy I found an excuse to buy another Belfast, maybe another cruiser bash coming soon 🪚 Happy camper me thou, the weather here is perfectso my dogs are happy, and modelling on hold till the rains come back. cheers, Rob

Decided to use 4” guns from Belfast rather than those supplied with Ark Royal. Forward flight deck cut away details last challenge before connecting hull halves.

Glad you found it noteworthy. I find a few gems researching RN! A most worthy topic, from where I sit 🇬🇧

New bash. Used inappropriate anchor positions to create forward docks. Assuming they are called docks, sry ahead if not ✌️

Cut away 2x 4” gun platforms, 2 more to go as per Unicorn. I must say digital pics always help me find more work to do 👀

Don’t be sry for adding valued content, from where I sit very much appreciated. Amazing research you, I will be sure to check everything thx. I agree it looks like a small almost square barge but with a box at stern capable of ~6 knots. On the Armoured Carriers link / Unicorn page you provided, there is a video embedded at top, but it takes a small bit to start so one could miss it scrolling down too fast. Anywho, the short starts out with a pass of Unicorn then has several views of Lighter with up to 3 folded wing planes onboard, the world’s smallest ACC lol🔍

Disclaimer. Maybe a good time to excuse myself as compared to many great modellers on this & other forums. I grew up in the 60s when even the best models available were a far cry from the accuracy of what’s available today. Add to that all my early builds were rushed as we kids would manoeuvre our fleets on the lawn. Today I am somewhat handicapped with bad 👀 & a neurological condition commonly known as Cyclist Palsy. So please be forewarned, I am not in this to produce the most accurate model. I admit in fact to put the Bash in kit mod, often siting need to finish or use of what’s available, over exquisite details. It’s just me having fun reminiscing my youth. When life was kinda simple, and detailed analysis somewhat overwhelming ⚓️

Well lots of cigarette lighters in search of WW2 RN lighter, but all is not too bad. Somehow googles acronym brought me to an even greater appreciation for Fleet Air Arm & especially the Swordfish via a 5 hour documentary commemorating the 80th anniversary of Operation Judgment: https://youtu.be/RYWtmQ3dVRw

Thx David, somehow the term ‘lighter’ eluded me. Now that I know what this ferry was called, maybe after more research I can build it as part of Unicorn. I love the Armoured Carrier link, so many pictures I admit to not reading all the text before your last post. Funny, I often use Wiki as a source to find further references but never tried on this subject, thx for taking the time to remind me of my oversight. Off to check them now. TBS the Lighter was such an integral part of Unicorn’s ability it’d be a shame to not have it as part of the build. Take care everyone & don’t forget your Mother on this day💕 Cheers, Rob